By Yero S. Bah
Climate change is a universal challenge that activists described as alarming, and it is known that sub-Saharan Africa is severely prone to the effects of climate change even though the continent contributes minimally to the causes around the globe.
A Gambian climate activists and entrepreneur, Mr. Burama Dampha of Upper River Region (URR) said said climate change in the Gambia at the moment is bad and it’s really affecting lives and livelihoods, nationwide especially upcountry where majority of the people are farmers.
Dampha, who is the founder of a climate group called Agency for Climate Change Agriculture and Forestry (ACCAF), made the observations in his online interview with Mansa Banko Online on Sunday, July 5, 2020. He said his organization mainly engages in climate change advocacy and adaptation mitigation strategies through tree planting and advocacy in rural Gambia.
As Dampha explained, he developed the love for environment protection since childhood because he believes when the environment is protected, there will be better fields for agricultural activities and life will be easier for all, as he works with other youth in Upper River Region to propel this climate crusade.
“Climate change is the change in the average conditions such as temperatures and rainfall over a period of time in a given region,” he defined.
A graduate of the Gambia College in Agriculture and English Language, the Climate Change activist-cum-entrepreneur enlightens that among the signs of climate change are frequent floods, excessive heat or colder temperatures and longer draughts; noting mostly people are contributors to climate change such as deforestation, bush burning and desertification. He added that due to climate change, Gambians are experiencing lower and poorer rainfalls, flash floods, and even excessive heat in the country, especially in his region of URR.
Dampha told this medium that one of the biggest challenges climate activists face in this country is that people think they (the activists) are disbelievers, and critics would tell them that they shouldn’t discuss climate issues.
“When we explain to them that it is the presence of trees that dictates rainfall, they ridicule us by saying we shouldn’t talk about it,” said the ACCAF founder who is also a full-time entrepreneur who runs a groundnut cracking business called BB Groundnut Processing. He also highlighted their challenges as entrepreneurs in Basse, pointing to access to finance as one of the biggest challenges whilst calling on government to step in by providing loans to Gambian entrepreneurs. Dampha said he joined entrepreneurship because he believes it’s one of the fastest routes to riches. He however, echoed that due to climate change there is high reduction of farming produce in upcountry and this has some bad effects on rural farmers.
The activist enjoined Gambians to continue the fight for a fairer and friendly climate environment in the Gambia.
